


being alive

by thehonorablewangfire



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: 4x13, Book 4: Balance, Canon Compliant, F/F, Relief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26986210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehonorablewangfire/pseuds/thehonorablewangfire
Summary: Korra reflects after her battle with Kuvira, and is relieved that her family is safe.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	being alive

**Author's Note:**

> My first LoK fic ever! Hope you all like it!

The spirits are not entirely pleased with you. Or Kuvira. Frankly, they're a little miffed. They don't like that some young upstart Avatar and her mortal enemy ( _really? Mortal enemy?_ ) blew a hole open in their home. Understandable. You empathize and apologize, and Kuvira has the decency to look ashamed, but you have to focus. Iroh tells you to come back soon and visit, he'll handle things on this side while you strong-arm the world back into balance for what feels like the thousandth time in your alarmingly short twenty-one years.

Twenty-one years might've been all you had if you hadn't bent that spirit beam. But you don't think about that. Can't. Won't.

You carry Kuvira back through the new spirit portal, ardently ignoring every cell in your body screaming at you for the wasted effort, knowing that if you were still connected to your past lives that they'd be shaking their heads at you and clapping, equal parts exasperated and proud.

And the small part of you that still carries hubris thinks to itself, _And why shouldn't they be? I just energybent a fucking spirit gun and rent the fabric of reality wide open_.

But the part of you that's grown into a functioning adult and not a pouting child tells the smaller voice to shut _up_ , thank you very much, and focus. Today isn't about you. It's not even about the portal, or Kuvira, or even Republic City.

No, today is about being alive. Because you survived. Your family did too, hopefully, and so you scan the crowd gathering as Su and Lin carry Kuvira off after her surrender. You absently hear something about your power being something Kuvira can't achieve, which is nice. Flattering. But unnecessary. You've had help. Kuvira didn't. Also, irrelevant right now. You keep looking, checking faces, counting, begging the spirits: _please, please,_ please _let her be okay. Let her be alive._

You saw the giant platinum hand slam down onto the hummingbird. Saw its pieces crushed and rent asunder. Saw it fall to the earth. You saw someone being ejected, unsure whether Hiroshi saved himself or his daughter. The cynic knows that Hiroshi would be the type to allow his daughter to die, but the part of you that loves (yes, _loves_ ) Asami hopes that he'd redeem himself. Which is horrible, you know, but you can't help yourself. If it's between him living or Asami, you'll choose Asami every day. And that thought worries you. Worries you because not knowing if she was alive or dead caused you grief, caused you rage, caused you to not be fully yourself. You were sick over it for hours. You let it influence your fight with Kuvira, knowing you shouldn't have but did anyway. It's why you won. In the cockpit you weren't fighting to stop Kuvira, you were fighting to kill her. Aang would be disappointed. Kiyoshi, proud.

But you didn't! that's a relief, right? Speaking of relief...

There's Tenzin and the kids, thank Raava they're safe. Bolin's carrying Mako on his shoulder, and Mako's arm looks _awful_ but you'll heal it later, when they're all back on the island. Varrick and Zhu Li are here, together, _finally_ , and then, there she is.

Her jade meets your cerulean and the look carries more than relief, you know. Of course you know. Guru Pathik would find you a hopeless pupil, because at this moment you know you'd give up anything, Raava, the world, balance, all the cosmic energy in the universe, to fling yourself into her arms and stay there forever. Because you know the look she's giving you. It's beyond relief or sorrow, or anything else. It's all of these, together, and it's more. It's the look you recognize from years of hopeless pining and self-reflection:

It's love.

And spirits, fuck, if that isn't a weight off your shoulders. You've been afraid for three years and counting that her feelings weren't the same as yours, that she only saw you as a friend and nothing more. That even if she did feel the same, if that feeling would last until you returned. But she does feel the same, and it did last. So your fears evaporate, and you realize that it's okay.

You don't give up all of the things you said you would and run into her arms, as much as you want to. You're the _Avatar_ , you have _responsibilities._ Like making sure that the people are safe, tracking down Earth Empire loyalists and maintaining the balance between humans and the spirits. It's who you are just as much as you are Korra. You do what you have to. 

And so you look at Asami, love and joy ripping you apart at the seams, and you smile, and hope that it's enough, just for the moment. Just for right now.

You'll have more time later.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone. I hope you like this little ditty I wrote. It's just something I felt would be appropriate for Korra after all the turmoil of fighting the Earth Empire and Kuvira. I love you all.
> 
> -jack


End file.
